Withdrawal Symptoms

Drug withdrawal symptoms occur as a result of an adverse reaction in the body and the brain to the abrupt discontinuation of a particular drug. When a person is addicted to a drug, the individual will experience withdrawal symptoms when it is no longer present in the body. Withdrawal symptoms can best be managed in a supervised detox in the context of a long term drug treatment program. Withdrawal symptoms can last for as long as a day or two or for several weeks, depending on the drug that was abused and the length of the drug addiction. Drug withdrawal symptoms can often include anxiety, heart palpitations, vomiting, profuse sweating, and in some cases, extreme nervousness. Withdrawal symptoms are often extremely uncomfortable, and in the case of severe long term addiction, they can be life threatening. There a two different types of drug withdrawal symptoms-physical and emotional.

Emotional drug withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Volatile mood swings
• Suicidal thoughts

Physical drug withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Chills and sweats
• Cramps and muscle aches/pains
• Sleeplessness
• Runny nose or fever

Because of the vast amount of drugs that are available, there are hundreds of different withdrawal symptoms that an individual may experience when a drug that has been abused is no longer present in the system. There are also various different stages of withdrawal symptoms during the detox process. Most often, a person will gradually begin to feel worse and worse until they reach a plateau; it is at this point that the withdrawal symptoms will begin to dissipate. Professionals in a drug treatment program can utilize many tools to help ease the discomfort of drug withdrawal symptoms. The drug rehab can also offer counseling as a part of the detox process, which can be an effective method in helping to manage an individual's drug withdrawal symptoms.